The Burton native took over the Martians’ program in the fall of 1993 and his first two teams posted back-to-back, 2-7 overall records.

“That was a reality check there,” Alward said. “It was a new system, a new way of looking at things. We had to dig deeper,” he said.

With a tireless work ethic and an impeccable attention to detail, it didn’t take the former Nebraska lineman long before he had Goodrich competing at an elite level. In his third season, the Martians fashioned a 9-2 overall record and qualified for the state playoffs for the first time in school history.

The 60-year-old has led Goodrich for 20 seasons, posting a 121-80 (.602) overall record, one win shy of the school-record of 122 set by Jerry Hughes from 1955-81.

“If you want to be successful, not just in football, but in life, you have to work harder than expected,” Alward said. “Nobody shows up on Friday night expecting to lose. Everybody expects to win. Usually, the team that is best prepared and does the work wins.”

Alward first broke into the coaching ranks at Flint Central in 1976. He served as an assistant junior varsity coach for two seasons and the Indians’ head JV coach for six before leaving for his alma mater, Burton Bendle.

He was a varsity assistant coach for the Tigers from 1986-90 before becoming a varsity assistant at Goodrich in 1992. A year later, he became the Martians’ varsity coach.

Alward has helped Goodrich reach several milestones during his career. One of his most memorable moments came in 2003 when he led the Martians to the Genesee Area Conference Red Division title, the program’s first league championship since it captured back-to-back Flint Suburban League crowns in 1971 and ’72.

“That was huge for us,” Alward said. “(GAC Red title) forced the players to work harder and the coaches to work harder. It’s what those kids do between the lines on Friday night that makes the difference. We’re blessed to have some good athletes out here.”

Under Alward’s guidance, Goodrich became one of the top programs in the GAC Red. The Martians won their second straight league title in 2004 before adding two more crowns in 2008 and ’10. Alward has led the Martians to an 86-48 (.642) league record – 39-21 (.650) in the GAC Red.

His teams have won seven or more overall games 11 times, including program-record 10-game winning seasons in 2004 (10-2) and 2008 (10-1).

Goodrich has become a force outside of the GAC Red, having qualified for the postseason 11 times, won three district titles and reached four regional championship games.

“It’s not all about wins and losses,” Alward said. “I’ve been blessed to be in an outstanding community with outstanding players. There have been an awful lot of faces that have come around and a lot of lives touched. It’s been a glorious ride.”